Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-07-08


ginning of spring. The white flag OF
Japan, with its red disk, was floating
over every doorway in town. and the
respondent obtes (the broad sashes
worn by women) of the young girls.
made the whole city seem indeed like
spring. In the grounds of this tenn
pie were many statues of reclining
oxen. some of them beautifully execu-
ted in bronze, notified or black marble.
and one especially, evidently quite
new, carved in gray granite. looked
as soft as velvet, the best work | have
yet seen in Japan. Tho huge stone
lanterns which are found by thousands
in all the temples and graveyards of
the country have a frame of wood,
covered with paper made to fit the
openings. When the light is within,
a host of these monsters beneath the
shadows of a pine grove is very eflec-
tive and quite startling when suddenly
come upon around some dark corner
From the garden of the Kinkakuji, a
hill is visible, which the Mikado IDA,
one hot summer day, had covered with
white silk that he might enjoy a cool
scene. There was once n French
Louis who did about the same thing, but
not to please himself. which certainly
shows good point in the idiotic act
which cannot be credited to the mika.
do in his similar one
The pleasant ride from Kioto to Otsu
on Lake Biwa has been made for tour
lists thing of the past, for the screach-
ing engine carries them through tunnel
and over tressel. and places them in
Otsu without giving glimpse of the
pretty country. With merry farewells
and good wishes from my host and
his people, | hurried away at lively
pace behind the best runner | have vet
had, in way which bid fair TO bring
me TO the lake quite as quickly as the
train would which | had Scorned. The
Iokaido all the way is magnificent
road, with stone embannments, cutters.
and cross drains equal to any | have
ever seen. The traffic which passes
over it is enormous, and ;he multtudes
OF home-returning peasants from the
kioto holiday made rapid progress soon
come to stop. At the foot of Hi-no-
Okla hill. which rises two hundred feet
in abrupt incline, had my first human
tandem equpage: the second man harm
essed himself to the front of the kuru-
ma with cords, and ran Just before
the man between the shafts. have |
often had two men, but one has |
always been pusher. The summit was
soon reached with the aid OF four legs:
but when | reached it | wished we had |
not done so well. for the mans chest |
heaved as though it would burst and | |
could note each beating of his heart,
while blood came from his lips and nos
trlls. 1t was. indeed very horrible
sight, and i shall never again allow
the men to exert themselves to such an
extent. They often deceive me, |
know, by feigned fatigue, but that is
surely better than that any animal
should suffer-be he four or two or one
legged. From the famous "hill of
meeting and parting which formerly
marked the boundary of the province of
Ozaka, the road descends 10 Otsu, Civ
ing fine glimpses of the lake between
tall pines, and finally. as the pictur-
esque town is reached. one sees be-
tween the brown houses the lovely
Biwa.
Two hundred and eighty-six years
before the Christian era there was
A fearful earthquake in Japan, during
which Fuji-yama is said TO have risen.
and at the same time the lake of Biwa
disappeared. The original name of the
AXE Is Omi, but someone with vivid
renamed it Biwa, think
ng it resembled in shape the 6iUa. the
native banjo. The lake is 2S0 feet
above the sea and the same number of
ieet in depth.
In Jspenese literature eight specified
beauties OF Biwa are mentioned, ONLY
'ne OF which | had the opportunity of
eeing. and that was the sail-boats re-
urning from Yabase. 1t was pretty
picture. but number of boats with
white sails spread would be anywhere
quite as beautiful / rather think.
hough, that the poets refer to those
,syly- decorated pleasure-boats which
re seen in midsummer. so possibly /
AVE not seen even one of the EIGHT.
The other seven are the moon in
.utumn from Ishiyama, the snow in
moonlight on Thirsyama the vesper
Il Mii-dera, sunset at Seta, clear dav
With white caps at Awsdzu. the geese
ghtning at Katsda, and the rain fall
ng at Karasaki at night, Karasaki is
point near Otsu. where stands the y
amous pine tree said to have been a
lanted as long ago as the days of the s
rst empire, but whether or not il docs